


make it right

by herillusion



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 12:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18894448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herillusion/pseuds/herillusion
Summary: He wasn’t coherent enough to make much sense, so Tim didn’t know what he thought he was seeing. It was mostly just begging, and not the desperate kind where you were trying to get attention, waiting for someone to get you out. It was more resigned than anything, a motion he was going through because he was too terrified to keep silent,. That made it somehow worse in Tim’s eyes, that he didn’t have hope that he would be rescued anymore. They somehow ended up holding hands, because Jason had grabbed onto the hand Tim put on his shoulder like a lifeline. And since he couldn’t go anywhere or do anything when one of his hands was glued to Jason’s, he just leant against the couch and contemplated life. Or rather, how oddly nice it was to hold Jason’s hand, as much as the situation sucked.





	make it right

**Author's Note:**

> I've not read the comics - all knowledge I have come from fics I've read, so if there are any canon discrepancies or if anything is OOC, I apologize in advance.

Tim paused for a bit, but eventually swore. He couldn’t say he and Jason were the best of pals – far from it, actually, given that the man had tried to kill him before, but he wasn’t so heartless as to leave him alone in the warehouse when he’d been dosed with fear toxin. Granted, it would wear off on its own eventually, but it would go way faster if he got the antidote into him, which Tim had some of back at his place. He hadn’t thought it would come in useful quite so soon. He wasn’t sure any of them would approve of him using it on Jason, given how things were between them right now, but it seemed cruel to him, to leave a man with so much demons in his past struggling alone in fear when he had a way to help. He hadn’t become Robin out of the goodness of his heart – more because he couldn’t stand seeing Batman self destruct, but it wasn’t in his nature to stand by and do nothing when he knew he could fix things.

Maybe it was a stupid impulse that would just get him into trouble, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to that. The worst Bruce could do was bench him, and it didn’t make much of a difference, either way, since Damian was Robin now. He gave himself a mental shake - no point getting into a pity party right now. The longer they stuck around, the more likely the cops would show up, and while having Red Hood arrested wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, he wasn’t about to leave Jason to their tender mercies in this state. He was actually going to have to get Jason’s attention though, enough to cooperate with him a little. He wasn’t weak, but he wasn’t strong enough to carry Jason all the way to his place on his own, not as heavily muscled as the man was.

“Hey. Hood.” 

He knelt beside the man and tried to catch his eyes, but Jason’s gaze was unfocused, darting around the warehouse. He glanced around quickly – there didn’t seem to be anyone else around – and decided to take the risk.

Keeping his voice low, he murmured, “Jason. It’s Tim. We gotta get out of here, alright? You need to help me out a little. Come on, up you get.”

He wasn’t sure how much his words were understood, wasn’t even sure Jason knew his name, since every time they met he sneered out the words ‘Replacement’ like it was a curse, but it did get him to his feet with Tim’s help, if a tad clumsily. Honestly, his apartment wasn’t the best option, but it was better than dragging him to any safehouse they had scattered around the city namely because it was the closest and also had the least surveillance in it. He understood the need for it, at least a little, but he drew a line at it being there for his own safety and him not having any sort of privacy. Besides, if need be, he could also get Barbara to scrub the tapes. He knew she still had a soft spot for Jason, no matter how Bruce might feel about it.

He deposited Jason on his couch and hesitated before gently tugging off his helmet. It felt like a violation of sorts, but it wasn’t as if they didn’t know each other. It didn’t seem to be helping the situation either – it wasn’t as though he couldn’t breathe while wearing it, but Tim was pretty sure he could breathe better with it off, which could only be a good thing when he was currently gasping in air at a worrying pace. 

“Uh...Jason. Slow down a bit there, follow my lead.”

It felt a tad odd to be calling him Jason, but he hadn’t seemed responsive to ‘Hood’ back in the field, so Tim was going to stick with that. He put a gentle hand on his shoulder in an attempt to be reassuring – he didn’t think too much physical contact was a good idea because he would likely feel as if he was being restrained, which would have the opposite effect than helping him calm down. But he would dare anyone to listen to those fearful whines and not feel pressed to try to soothe them. He wasn’t coherent enough to make much sense, so Tim didn’t know what he thought he was seeing. 

It was mostly just begging, and not the desperate kind where you were trying to get attention, waiting for someone to get you out. It was more resigned than anything, a motion he was going through because he was too terrified to keep silent,. That made it somehow worse in Tim’s eyes, that he didn’t have hope that he would be rescued anymore. They somehow ended up holding hands, because Jason had grabbed onto the hand Tim put on his shoulder like a lifeline. He was pretty sure Jason wasn’t going to be too happy about that when he actually woke up, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to let go when Jason started making those fear-soaked whines again once he tried to untangle himself. And since he couldn’t go anywhere or do anything when one of his hands was glued to Jason’s, he just leant against the couch and contemplated life. 

Or rather, how oddly nice it was to hold Jason’s hand, as much as the situation sucked. He hadn’t really had much experience in dating except for Steph – it was hard to trust people were interested in him for more than his wealth or good grades. Besides, having to go on patrol had him making a lot of weird excuses for why he couldn’t go out on dates too often for it to be a good basis for a trusting relationship. He couldn’t say he had really thought about Jason in that way, but he would be lying if he didn’t admit that the other man was his type. Well, he couldn’t comment much personality wise since they hadn’t really had the chance to interact civilly in a social setting, but he did hope he got the chance to get to know him better someday. 

He had idolized Jason back when he was Robin, and he couldn’t say he didn’t understand where Jason was coming from, as much as the murder attempt had rankled. He was just as bitter when Dick had taken Robin from him and given it to Damian, after all, even if he didn’t express his feelings violently. He’d also done his research on the Lazarus Pit, and arguably Jason hadn’t been all that sane and in control of his actions. He woke up to an empty apartment and a torn off scrap of paper on the dining table that read ‘Thanks’. The upside of it was that it had at least avoided any awkward confrontations, the downside was that he had actually wanted to check Jason over to see if he had any other injuries aside from the dose of fear toxin he’d gotten. 

He had intended to do it yesterday, but having only one hand available wasn’t exactly conducive to that. He knew the man could probably take care of himself, but it didn’t feel fair somehow, because when they got hurt they could get back to the Cave and have Alfred patch them up, but all he had was himself. Red Hood was surprisingly quiet for the next couple of weeks – Tim didn’t know whether to be worried or relieved. Worried because stirring up trouble was basically in Jason’s nature and they didn’t know what was going on with him otherwise, relieved because less news about whatever terrible things Jason had gotten up to would hopefully help to remind Bruce that despite everything else, Jason was his son. 

Maybe he was being overly optimistic, but he held up the hope that something could still be salvaged in that relationship. Bruce might be shit at showing it, but Tim was pretty sure he did still care about Jason. He wasn’t too sure about Jason, but having family around him would probably be good for him, emotionally. Assuming he and Bruce didn’t just spend all their time arguing with each other, that is. Maybe that was too much to ask for, he thought wryly. Somewhat ironically, after wondering about Jason earlier in the day, he actually ran into him later in the evening. He meant that fairly literally – he actually stumbled over Jason’s leg while on his way to meet Steph. 

Granted, he’d known he was in Red Hood patrol territory, but given that he was in civilian clothing, the chances of him actually being chased out personally were pretty low. Tim tried not to interfere unless directly ordered to, and Jason generally granted him the same courtesy. That definitely didn’t prepare him for almost tripping over Jason, fully costumed, in an alley. He hadn’t really been looking where he was going, too occupied with his phone like a typical teenager, though he protested that he was a young adult now whenever that term was applied to him.

Jason didn’t seem injured – no sign of blood dripping or awkwardly twisted limbs that could indicate broken bones, but that didn’t rule out internal injuries. Given that he was uncomfortably warm to the touch, Tim would guess that he was running a fever. It seemed pretty much a repeat of the last time they’d seen each other, with the same dilemma of where to take him. Eventually, Tim decided to bring him to one of Jason’s safehouses. He probably wouldn’t be too happy about the fact that they knew where it was, meaning he wasn’t likely to use it again, but Tim reckoned he would prefer recuperating there than one of Batman’s safehouses. It was bad enough to be vulnerable, being somewhere he would feel watched wouldn’t help him to relax.

Jason did appear to recognise him, at least, enough to look unhappy about it. That was mostly a guess on Tim’s part, given that his helmet and all were still on, which wasn’t conducive for trying to gauge his emotions. Regardless, Jason seemed practical enough to realise he needed the help, being too shaky to get where he wanted on his own. Given that he was actually conscious this time, Tim didn’t attempt to remove the helmet until Jason’s frustrated swearing led him to offer his help. Seeing him proved his guess pretty much immediately. He was unusually pale with red spots on his cheeks, probably from the exertion, and sweat was beaded on his forehead. He had a mulish expression on his face, probably from the fact that Tim was there, but Tim wasn’t about to leave him on his own until he was sure Jason wouldn’t just collapse and hit his head.

“You got any meds here? Food?” 

Jason waved a hand haphazardly at the cabinets. He shot a cautious look at Jason, unsure if that counted as permission, but with no further objection, Tim managed to locate some aspirin and random packets of junk food. He brought the former to Jason with a glass of water, which were taken from him with a nod and a scowl, but he was pretty sure the latter wasn’t considered suitable sick person food.

“You should go take a shower and cool down. I’ll get you some food.”

He saw Jason opening his mouth, ready to object and cut him off.

“I swear I won’t tell anyone about this and I won’t hold it over you in any way, okay? Maybe my word isn’t worth much to you but just...let me do this.”

He wasn’t sure if it was his tone or something he said that managed to get through to him, but he managed to coax a sullen nod from Jason, who he then tailed surreptitiously to the bathroom, ready to give him a hand if he stumbled. He flicked through the drawers quickly and pulled out a random shirt and pair of boxers, figuring it would be easier on him if he didn’t have to waste extra energy looking for clothes when he was done showering. He didn’t quite want to leave Jason alone in case he felt faint and needed help or something, but he was certain the man would raise hell if he suggested that the door be left open so he could keep an eye on things, so hopefully the man was smart enough to actually sit down instead of trusting his shaky legs. 

He dropped by the nearest convenience store quickly and got some canned soup and bread, together with instant porridge and oatmeal. Light on the stomach, and pretty hard to mess up even for someone who wasn’t all that great at cooking. He abruptly remembered the fact that he hadn’t exactly updated Steph that he wouldn’t be showing up after all, and took a moment to shoot off a quick text to her. He would have called, but he didn’t know how to explain the situation in a way that didn’t sound ridiculous. She wouldn’t have mocked him for it or tried to talk him out of it, or into bringing Jason to the Manor like Bruce might have. 

Her background was similar enough to Jason’s that she got some things, perhaps more than Tim did, and he half wondered what it would be like if they got the chance to meet. Steph had never gotten her own login in the Cave and was definitely not allowed out in the field, but Tim let her tag along sometimes, when Bruce was out of town. Dick was flexible enough to keep mum about it. He got back to see Jason flopped over the bed, hair still wet. It was somewhat worrying to not get much more of a reaction than a twitch when he walked into the bedroom, but he supposed apathy was better than hostility in this situation. 

He wasn’t exactly great at taking care of sick people – it wasn’t like he had had a lot of practice – but not having them actively fight against being taken care of was probably helpful. He wouldn’t be surprised at the resistance, really. They were barely acquaintances, and it had to feel like his independence was being infringed on or something. It wasn’t like Tim meant to suggest he was incapable of taking care of himself, speaking from personal experience, it was just nice to have someone around who felt like they cared. He briefly wondered if taking a towel to that hair would be too much before he decided he would make some food first and worry about the rest later. He did throw a blanket over the figure though. It wasn’t exactly cold in the room, but he would be getting the chills soon, with the temperature he was running. It was kind of surreal, all around. 

He didn’t know how he managed to get himself into these situations – granted, the first time round couldn’t be blamed on Jason, no one wanted to get dosed with fear toxin because it really sucked. He supposed it wasn’t all that surprising Jason was stubborn enough to keep patrolling even when he was sick, given he might not have anyone to cover him. Maybe he had but didn’t trust them enough, it was hard to say. Trust was a hard won commodity, given their line of work.

“Why are you here?”

Jason seemed to have woken from his uneasy nap and was eyeing him warily from where he was semi propped up against the headboard. He didn’t seem to be angry, just genuinely confused, and Tim didn’t know what to tell him either. Maybe it wasn’t the best time for it, but it was a good chance he wouldn’t get otherwise, he supposed.

“Look, I know we have a lot of...bad blood in between us. But I think your heart is in the right place, even if your methods might be on the violent side. And I don’t have that many friends, so.”

It didn’t come out all that smoothly, but he got the point across, hopefully. Jason just looked a weird mix of disbelieving and bewildered. Tim decided the best option now was to give him time to think, and ducked out of the room hastily, mumbling something about making food. Jason put up with him up until his fever broke, upon which he was kicked out but with an invitation to do something together next weekend. That had been unexpected – he didn’t think Jason would make the first move, but perhaps he was testing Tim’s sincerity – maybe he didn’t expect Tim would really show up. He was texted an address and time, and it was to this small eatery he’d never been to. The food was amazing though, despite the shabby surroundings. 

As for the conversation, it was clear neither of them were great at social interaction, as Tim fumbled around with small talk before accidentally stumbling upon something Jason actually had interest in. Ironically, it seemed that he’d watched more of the recent movies than Tim himself had, since Tim rarely went unless someone suggested it. Steph preferred to conserve her cash and often dragged him window shopping when they went out, and the thought of Damian and Dick sitting quietly in a theater with him was fairly bizarre. If they ever did anything as a family together, it would probably be sports related – Dick was too restless for anything else, and he could easily picture Damian fencing or something.

So their next few outings were spent catching up on movies, since Jason exclaimed how much of a travesty it was that he knew so little about pop culture. You would think it wouldn’t be the best way to get to know each other, given that movies basically mean spending time staring at a screen together. But it did help them get more comfortable with each other, as there was less pressure to interact directly. It was amusing to hear the kind of remarks Jason made about the movie’s plot and also to try to make popcorn on their own instead of getting the microwavable kind or buying it from the cinema. They did go out to eat again eventually. 

Tim suspected Jason might have been avoiding it after realising the consequences if they were spotted, but it wasn’t as if Bruce lecturing him about Jason being a bad influence was going to change anything on his part. He wouldn’t deny Bruce was a good mentor and a better father figure than his own, but he was old enough to realise Bruce wasn’t perfect and not everything he said was right. Maybe Jason was trying to avoid a confrontation with Bruce himself, since Tim wouldn’t put it past him to go directly to the source if Tim didn’t listen to him. He wasn’t sure if Jason would listen either – both of them were oddly alike, although they weren’t biologically related.

Stubborn and hot tempered, although being Batman had trained Bruce to direct it coldly and harshly when needed. It made him a more convincing authority figure. He didn’t want to be another source of conflict between them, since his aim was to resolve their issues with each other. But he couldn’t quite see a way around it, since there was no way Bruce would be happy with him trying to interfere, and he didn’t think Jason would thank him for it either. For grown men, they were both terrible at communicating. Eventually, he managed to convince Jason to come over to the Manor for dinner. 

At a time Bruce wasn’t around, because he figured having Jason already get along with everyone else would only help his case, and it wasn’t like things wouldn’t be volatile enough without throwing Bruce into the mix. Tim offered to pay for their dinners for the next two months – which was a risk, since Jason might have taken it as an attempt at charity – he wasn’t sure how Jason was getting by, but Tim knew he personally had more than enough to spare. He could fall back on his inheritance even if you disregarded the amount he made from his work for the company, and he didn’t want to rub it in Jason’s face, but Jason likely had better places to spend his money on such as improving his equipment. 

It was probably that and a combination of his puppy eyes and Jason’s soft spot for Alfred that got Jason to agree, given Tim’s main selling point was that it was for Alfred’s birthday. Things actually went fairly smoothly up until the end, when Bruce unexpectedly showed up. He had been on a Justice League mission, and Connor had assured Tim it would take him a few days at least, which was clearly inaccurate. They had had a shouting match in the dining room, where Tim had managed to get everyone else away with Alfred’s help. He didn’t quite want to leave Jason alone, but as much as he wanted to be there for moral support, some things didn’t need an audience. He poked a head in cautiously after the shouting had died down, to see Jason slumped in a chair, head in his hands. 

Tim figured the best thing he could do right now was to let him get some rest. He doubted they had managed to sort everything out, but it was hopefully at least a start. He hesitated on where to lead Jason – his old room was probably a bad idea, given the memories that had to be associated with it, but he didn’t feel right leaving Jason alone in a guest room either, after everything that had happened. His assumption was proved by Jason’s reaction when he led him past his old room, and Tim quickly tugged Jason into his own room before he got even more upset. He was about to pull out the futon and let Jason have his bed when Jason caught his arm. Tim was too stunned to react when Jason pulled him into a kiss.

“I don’t want to be alone. Please.”

His eyes were red rimmed, he’d clearly been crying, whether or not he would admit it, and they reflected a storm of emotion Tim was hard pressed to read. His voice was raspy but determined, and Tim judged he probably knew best what he needed. Not an ideal situation, but he would work with it.

“Promise me we’ll talk about it in the morning.”

Tim kept his voice level, only pulling Jason back onto the bed beside him once he’d gotten a nod in acknowledgment. They didn’t go all the way, but they did enough for Tim to be thankful that he still had supplies left in his dresser. Surrounded by the sound of Jason’s heartbeat, their limbs comfortably entangled with each other, Tim drifted off to the thought of their promised talk the next day. He knew he didn’t want this to be a one-time thing, and given how close they’d gotten, he hoped Jason felt the same.


End file.
